Pedestrianisation champion’s street claims are ludicrous

28 July, 2017

• THE campaign by Peter Hartley (chair of Westminster Living Streets) to deny access to Oxford Street for all residents and commuters is afforded an exceptional amount of coverage by your paper (his latest letter being Pedestrianise Oxford Street and make it safer, July 21).

He is the champion of the tourist and shopkeeper, not local people and regular commuters. His claims, in relation to Oxford Street are ludicrous – “the UK’s most dangerous road”. Surely not?

“There is no space to walk at the moment” – It has pinch points, yes. “People are continually killed and injured every year with sickening regularity”. He makes it sound like an organised cull.

He’s dropped the use of “slaughtered” – a most obscene misuse of the word in relation to traffic accidents.

Aside from his own nonsensical declarations he dismisses the resulting traffic chaos from the closure of Oxford Street as unfounded. How naive, considering the utter anarchy that results from a single march/demonstration closing Oxford Street or a Regent Street “car-free” day.

I wish that Oxford Street was an international shopping destination but any main thoroughfare that has over a dozen London souvenir shops selling the same low quality items can hardly consider itself a retail mecca.